Revealed: Impact of Israeli military's invasion of southern Lebanon

The latest satellite imagery and open-source intelligence reveal signs of damage and Israeli troop movements in four key border areas in south-east Lebanon.

Israel's attacks have concentrated primarily on south-eastern towns, including Yaroun, Maroun Al Ras, Aadaysit Marjayoun, and Kfar Kila.

Using satellite imagery and geo-located photos and videos posted mainly by the Israeli military, The National can reveal new details of the country's military operations, including incursion roads, scorched earth and flattened buildings.

Israeli army locations inside Lebanon based on The National's analysis of satellite imagery and geo-located footage

Sources: Israeli military; UN Interim Force In Lebanon; and Hezbollah Telegram channels. Some images and videos were verified by The National after online analysts, including TwistyCB, Nrg8000, fdov and Asia_Intel first geolocated the sites.

New roads

Yaroun

Before-and-after satellite imagery near the village of Yaroun shows new roads that are likely to have been created by heavy vehicles, including tanks, crossing the Lebanon-Israel border. These roads indicate potential preparations for a long-term military presence in the area or to aid troop movements.

Image: Sentinel-2 L2A. Image analysis: The National

Image: Sentinel-2 L2A. Image analysis: The National

Image: Israeli military drone footage; Google Maps / Maxar Technologies

Image: Israeli military drone footage, Google maps/Maxar Technologies

Recent drone footage published by the Israeli military and compared with Google Map images shows extensive damage in Yaroun.

The National geolocated additional images published by the Israeli military on October 6, which revealed a heavy military presence in both the urban and rural areas of Yaroun.

This footage includes tanks and troops moving through what appear to be mixed-use areas, reinforcing the impact of the war on Lebanese civilians. Israeli attacks have displaced more than one million people.

Last week, Hezbollah said Israeli soldiers were killed in an ambush at Yaroun, with an explosive device detonated as troops tried to encircle the village.

Early on Saturday, October 5, the Iran-backed group said it launched missiles at Israeli soldiers at Khallet Abeer, in Yaroun.

Scorched earth and razed buildings

Aadaysit Marjayoun

Farther north, Aadaysit Marjayoun has faced intense artillery bombardment. Satellite images from October 6 show large areas of scorched land, probably caused by fires or explosions.

Additional images released by the Israeli military shows soldiers moving on foot near a geolocated site in Aadaysit Marjayoun.

Source: Israeli military. Image analysis: TwistyCB

Source: Israeli military. Image analysis: TwistyCB

The Israeli military claims to have killed dozens of Hezbollah fighters and discovered a large cache of weapons, reportedly hidden in homes in southern Lebanon. Footage of Israeli operations includes the demolition of a building, with video released on official channels. Israeli military spokesman Lt Col posted the footage on X, claiming the building was used as a Hezbollah weapons store. This location has been geolocated to Aadaysit Marjayoun.

Image: Israeli military. Image analysis: The National

Image: Israeli military. Image analysis: The National

Artillery and occupation

Kfar Kila

Another border town, Kfar Kila, shows signs of a military offensive, too, with damage to buildings, as well as signs of heavy vehicles and newly marked roads. Geolocated footage published by the Israeli military on October 6 provides a glimpse into the condition of the town, showing debris in the streets.

Another video published by Israeli media on X shows combat engineering units demolishing a building geolocated to Kfar Kila by analysts online. The National has verified the footage.

Image: Screenshot of footage published by Israeli military. Analysis: Asia_Intel

Image: Screenshot of footage published by Israeli Military. Analysis Asisa_Intel

UN peacekeepers surrounded

Maroun Al Ras

Other open-source analysts have also published satellite imagery, captured on October 5 and provided by Planet Labs, that shows Israeli military vehicles outside a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) base near Maroun Al Ras.

Unifil operates outside of the town, at a base officially known as UNP 6-52. On October 6, Unifil said on X that it was "deeply concerned by recent activities" by the Israeli military "immediately adjacent to the mission’s position 6-52", south-east of Maroun Al Ras.

Satellite imagery from October 5, published by Planet Labs, shows Israeli military vehicles around the Unifil base.

Image: PlanetLabs. Analysis: Jake Godin, Bellingcat researcher

Image: PlanetLabs. Analysis: Jake Godin, Bellingcat researcher

Late on October 8, Unifil refused a request from the Israeli military to leave bases near the border, an area that had been demilitarised since 2006.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, stipulated that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers should operate between the border and the Litani river.

Little is known about the humanitarian situation near the border, or how many civilians are still there. There have been unconfirmed reports of casualties and people fleeing their homes, while access to the areas is restricted.

Sources and Verification
The National utilised imagery and footage from Israeli military sources, Unifil statements and independent analysts, including Bellingcat, TwistyCB, Nrg8000, fdov, and Asia_Intel. Satellite images provided by Sentieal-2, Planet Labs and Google Maps were also used. Each location and claim was verified using geolocation tools and cross-referenced with satellite imagery to ensure accuracy.